PROCEDURE FOR INSTALLING AN ELECTRONIC DETONATOR ASSEMBLY AND ASSOCIATED IGNITION PROCEDURE

Abstract

A procedure for installing a set of electronic detonators in boreholes of a mining face comprises the following steps: - connecting (S41) detonators, loaded in the boreholes, to a mobile test device; - receiving (S42), by means of the mobile test device, a message sent by each detonator; - determining (S43), from that message, a set of values ​​{V}, representing the total number of detonators connected to the mobile test device; - sending (S44), to one or more detonators of said set, a set of data {D} to be stored, comprising said set of values ​​{V} representing the total number of detonators connected to the mobile test device; and - storing (S45) said set of data {D} on memory recording media of one or more detonators of said set of electronic detonators. Use for subsequent verification of the connection of the detonators prior to ignition.

Description

PROCEDURE FOR INSTALLING AN ELECTRONIC DETONATOR ASSEMBLY AND ASSOCIATED IGNITION PROCEDURE The present invention relates to an installation procedure for installing a set of electronic detonators on a working face. It also refers to a procedure for igniting a set of electronic detonators installed at a working face according to the installation procedure according to the invention. The present invention also relates to a mobile test device for implementing the installation procedure according to the invention, as well as a system for igniting a set of electronic detonators installed on an exploitation front according to the installation procedure according to the invention. The present invention applies, in general, to the field of mines and quarries and to public works sites that employ programmable electronic detonators and remote ignition according to a predetermined ignition plan. The ignition plan defines, at the working face, the location of the boreholes, each configured to receive an electronic detonator associated with an explosive, as well as the ignition sequence, that is, the delay associated with each electronic detonator, according to its location in each borehole of the working face. The ignition of electronic detonators according to an ignition plan is conventionally implemented based on two main phases, one at the exploitation front, the other at a certain distance from the exploitation front. First, the electronic detonators are loaded into the boreholes defined by the ignition plan, then they are identified one by one by means of a mobile testing device, at the working face. The mobile test device is generally designed to read, send, test, and program one or more electronic detonators simultaneously or individually, with or without contact. The identification stage consists of the mobile test device progressively reading a unique identifier associated with each electronic detonator, either through a wired or wireless connection to the device. Next, a delay is assigned to each electronic detonator according to the chosen ignition plan, which in turn assigns a predefined delay to each borehole based on its location in the working face. This delay associated with each electronic detonator is stored in the mobile test device's memory. In some applications, this stage provides the ability to program and store in memory, in each electronic detonator, the ignition delay associated with it according to the chosen ignition plan. Normally, the mobile test device performs a test of the electronic detonators connected to the bus line to verify the correct connection of the set of individually identified electronic detonators. Once the previous stage is completed, the bus line to which the electronic detonators are connected is connected to an ignition line, and the latter is in turn connected to a remote ignition device. Next, the remote ignition stage can be implemented. This ignition stage can begin several days, or possibly weeks, after the stage of installing electronic detonators at a working face. Before actual remote ignition, the remote ignition device carries out a test stage to verify that all electronic detonators in the ignition plan are correctly connected to the ignition line and that the ignition conditions of the electronic detonators at the operating front are still satisfactory to activate the ignition. To do this, the remote ignition device compares the individual identification information sent to it by each electronic detonator with the data recorded by the mobile test device during the testing and installation stage of the electronic detonators at the operational front. Therefore, the data recorded by the mobile test device at the installation stage, i.e., the number of electronic detonators placed at the operating front and connected to the bus line, the unique identification associated with each electronic detonator, as well as the delay associated with each electronic detonator (possibly programmed in each electronic detonator), are transferred from the mobile test device to the remote ignition device and stored in memory to allow the implementation of the test before ignition. This data transfer can be carried out using a memory medium such as a USB key or possibly by transmission using a wireless communication protocol between the mobile test device and the remote ignition device. In practice, it is then necessary to move the mobile test device and / or the memory medium a great distance between the operating front and the remote ignition device. The present invention is intended to solve at least one of the aforementioned drawbacks and provide a simplified installation for a set of electronic detonators, subsequently igniting them according to a predefined ignition plan. To that end, according to a first aspect, the present invention relates to an installation procedure for installing a set of electronic detonators in boreholes of a mining face. The manufacturing process comprises the following stages: - connect electronically charged detonators in the boreholes to a mobile testing device; - receive, via the mobile test device, a message sent by each detonator of said set of electronic detonators; - determine, using the mobile test device and based on the message sent by each detonator, a set of values ​​representing the total number of electronic detonators connected to the mobile test device; - to send, by means of said mobile test device to one or more detonators of said set of electronic detonators, a set of data to be stored in a memory comprising said set of values ​​representing the total number of electronic detonators connected to the mobile test device; and - store said data set on memory recording media of one or more detonators of said electronic detonator set. Therefore, at least one detonator in the electronic detonator set stores in memory at least part of a set of values ​​representing the total number of electronic detonators connected to the mobile lj L7nn / pznz / B / YiAi test device at the time of the detonators' installation at the exploitation front. This information can thus be sent by at least one detonator once the electronic detonators have been connected to a remote ignition device to allow validation of the entire installation and the correct connection, and in particular to verify that there are no current leaks in the line to connect the electronic detonators to the remote ignition device. Storing information useful for validation testing in at least one electronic detonator makes it possible to dispense with data transfer between the mobile test device and a remote ignition device. Therefore, it is not necessary to physically transfer the data, obtained at the time of the installation of the electronic detonators at the exploitation front, to the remote ignition device. According to one embodiment, in the transmission stage, the data set to be stored in memory is sent to all detonators of the electronic detonator set, with the data set being stored on recording media of each detonator of the electronic detonator set. Redundant memory storage of the data set in all electronic detonators makes it possible to guarantee the subsequent transfer of that data set to a remote ignition device, even in the event of failure of one or more of the detonators or of their connection with the remote ignition device. Advantageously, this set of data to be stored in memory also includes a reference to the exploitation front. Therefore, when several ignitions are expected in the same period of time, the exploitation front reference allows verification of the correct attribution of a stored data set to a particular exploitation front. In a practical embodiment, this set of values ​​comprises the total number of electronic detonators connected to the mobile test device. The total number of electronic detonators connected at the time of the installation procedure at the working face allows subsequent verification that the correct number of electronic detonators is connected to the remote ignition device, before activating the ignition lj L7nn / pznz / B / YiAi In one particular embodiment, each detonator comprises memory means for storing at least one delay category reference chosen from a predefined set of delay categories. In one embodiment, the installation procedure further comprises, for each delay category, a step of issuing a test command by means of said mobile test device to a subset of electronic detonators comprising the same delay category reference stored in memory and, in the determination step, said set of values ​​comprises, for each delay category, the number of electronic detonators comprising that same delay category reference stored in memory. This information on the number of electronic detonators for each delay category allows subsequent verification that the correct number of electronic detonators, for each delay category according to the chosen ignition plan, is connected to the remote ignition device, before activating the ignition. In another embodiment, in addition to or as an alternative to the previous embodiment, in the stage of receiving, by means of said mobile test device, a message sent by each detonator of said set of electronic detonators, said message comprises at least the delay category reference stored in said memory storage means of said detonator, and in the determination stage, said set of values ​​comprises, for each delay category, the number of electronic detonators that comprise that same delay category reference stored in memory. Preferably, in order to verify that the detonators of all delay categories implemented at the time of installation at the operating front are correctly connected, the data set to be stored in memory comprises the number of delay categories of said predefined set of delay categories. In practice, in the memory storage stage, the number of electronic detonators comprising said recorded delay category reference is stored, respectively, in the recording media of at least one electronic detonator comprising said stored delay category reference. lj L / nn / pznz / B / YiAi In one embodiment, the manufacturing process further comprises the following steps: - select, on the mobile test device, an association model for each delay category with a predefined delay according to a predetermined ignition plan; and - program an ignition delay on each detonator of the electronic detonator set based on said association model and the delay category reference stored in the memory media of said detonator. Programming the delay on the mobile test device is simplified by using an association model. The ignition delay can be programmed automatically according to the delay category stored in each detonator's memory. All detonators can be programmed simultaneously, not one by one. According to a second aspect, the present invention also relates to a procedure for igniting a set of electronic detonators installed at the working face according to the installation procedure described above, implemented in an ignition device. The ignition procedure comprises the following stages: - connect said set of electronic detonators to the ignition device; - receive a message sent by each detonator of said set of electronic detonators; - receive said data set stored on said recording media from one or more detonators of said electronic detonator set; - extract, from said stored data set, said set of values ​​representing the total number of electronic detonators connected to the mobile test device at the time of installing said set of electronic detonators at the exploitation front; - determine the current number of electronic detonators in said set of electronic detonators connected to the ignition device based on the message sent by each detonator in said set of electronic detonators; - compare the current number with the set of values ​​representing the total number of electronic detonators connected to the mobile test device lj L7nn / pznz / B / YiAi; and - Issue a validation message for a test if the current number is consistent with the set of values ​​representing the total number, and a non-validation message if the current number is not consistent with the set of values ​​representing the total number. Therefore, verification of the proper connection of the detonator assembly can be carried out based on the data set sent by one or more electronic detonators to the remote ignition device and does not require data transfer between the mobile test device used at the time of installing the detonators at the working face and the ignition device, at a distance from the working face. According to one embodiment, the procedure for igniting a set of electronic detonators installed at the working face comprises the following steps: - connect said set of electronic detonators to the ignition device; - receive a message sent by each detonator of said set of electronic detonators, said message comprising at least the delay category reference stored in said memory storage media of said detonator; - receive said data set stored on said recording media from one or more detonators of said electronic detonator set; - extract, from said stored data set, comprising said set of values, for each delay category, the number of electronic detonators comprising said stored delay category reference; - determine, for each delay category, the actual number of electronic detonators comprising said stored delay category reference, from said message sent by each detonator of said set of electronic detonators; - compare, for each delay category, said actual number with said number of electronic detonators comprising said stored delay category reference; and - issue a test validation message if said actual number is equal to said number of electronic detonators comprising said stored delay category reference for all delay categories, and a non-validation message if said actual number is different from said number of electronic detonators comprising said stored delay category reference for at least one delay category. The ignition procedures thus make it possible to validate or not validate the installation of the electronic detonators and their connection before ignition, based on knowledge of the number of electronic detonators in each delay category. According to another embodiment, the procedure for igniting a set of electronic detonators installed at the working face comprises the following steps: - connect said set of electronic detonators to the ignition device; - send, for each delay category, a test command by means of said ignition device to a subset of electronic detonators comprising the same stored delay category reference; - to receive, for each delay category, a message sent by each detonator of said subset of electronic detonators comprising said same stored delay category; - receive said data set stored on said recording media from one or more detonators of said electronic detonator set; - extract, from said stored data set, comprising said set of values, for each delay category, the number of electronic detonators comprising said stored delay category reference; - determine, for each delay category, the actual number of electronic detonators comprising said stored delay category reference, from said message sent by each detonator of said subset of electronic detonators comprising said same stored delay category; - compare, for each delay category, said actual number with said number of electronic detonators comprising said stored delay category reference; and - issue a test validation message if said actual number is equal to said number of electronic detonators comprising said stored delay category reference for all delay categories, and a non-validation message if said actual number is different from said number of electronic detonators comprising said stored delay category reference for at least one delay category. In practice, at this stage of issuing a non-validation message, the delay category or categories whose current number is different from the number of electronic detonators comprising the stored delay category reference are identified. The operator can thus identify the defective detonators among the set of electronic detonators and decide, according to the delay category in question, to suspend or activate the ignition. In an advantageous embodiment, the ignition procedure further comprises the following steps: - select an association model from each delay category with a predefined delay according to a predetermined ignition plan; and - program an ignition delay in each detonator of said set of electronic detonators based on said association model and the delay category reference stored in the memory storage media of said detonator. Delay programming can thus be performed remotely from the ignition device and is simplified by using an association model. The ignition delay can be programmed automatically according to the delay category stored in each detonator. All detonators can be programmed simultaneously, not individually. According to a third aspect, the present invention also relates to a mobile testing device for the implementation of the installation procedure described above. The mobile testing device comprises: - receiving means for receiving a message sent by each detonator of said set of electronic detonators loaded in boreholes; - means of determination for determining, from said message sent by each detonator, a set of values ​​representing the total number of electronic detonators connected to said mobile test device; and lj L7nn / pznz / B / YiAi - means of sending to one or more detonators of said set of electronic detonators, a set of data to be stored comprising said set of values ​​representing the total number of electronic detonators connected to said mobile test device. The mobile test device has similar features and advantages to the installation procedure it implements. Finally, according to a fourth aspect, the present invention relates to an ignition system for a set of electronic detonators installed at the working face according to the installation procedure described above. The ignition system comprises a mobile test device configured to connect to a bus line, with the electronic detonators connected to said bus line, and an ignition device configured to connect remotely via an ignition line to said bus line. In practice, each detonator in said set of electronic detonators comprises means for storing a delay category reference chosen from a predefined set of delay categories, each delay category being identified by a predefined combination of a numeric code and a color code, said numeric code being stored as a delay category reference in said storage means of each detonator. Advantageously, said numerical code and said color code of each predefined combination are visible in at least one location chosen between a connection cable of the electronic detonator or a connector of said electronic detonator to the bus line. The combination of a number and a color makes it possible to define in a simple and visual way the delay category to which the electronic detonator belongs and thus facilitate its installation at the working face. In practice, this predefined set of delay categories comprises between 16 and 32, or even 64 different delay categories. The ignition system has similar characteristics and advantages to the ignition procedure described above. Further features and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description with reference to the attached drawings, which are given as non-limiting examples: Figure 1 is a schematic view of an ignition system according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the timing of an ignition plan for an ignition system from Figure 1; Figure 3 is a diagram that illustrates a model of delay category associations with predefined delays according to the ignition plan example in Figure 2; Figure 4 is an algorithm for an installation procedure for installing an assembly of electronic detonators according to an embodiment of the invention; and Figure 5 is an algorithm for a procedure to ignite a set of electronic detonators according to an embodiment of the invention; First, a description will be given with reference to Figure 1 of a system for igniting a set of electronic detonators installed at the working face. The ignition system comprises several 10 electronic detonators, each provided to be installed in a borehole at the working face. Typically, each electronic detonator 10 is placed with a predetermined amount of explosive in a borehole drilled into a working face. The set of 10 electronic detonators thus installed at the working face are then configured to be ignited in a single salvo. Such an ignition system is used, for example, particularly in applications for mines, quarries, and public works. In this embodiment, the ignition system comprises a mobile test device 20 configured to connect to a bus line L1. The electronic detonators 10 are also connected to the L1 bus line and therefore connected to the mobile test device 20. The mobile test device 20 can thus communicate with one or more electronic detonators 10, simultaneously or individually, in order to read information or data stored in memory by the electronic detonators 10, send information to said electronic detonators 10 and test their connection and their operating status lj L7nn / pznz / B / YiAi. In some embodiments, the mobile test device 20 is also designed to program the electronic detonators 10 and, for example, program an ignition delay as will be described in more detail below. The mobile test device 20 conventionally comprises receiving means 21 and sending means 22 that make it possible to communicate with the electronic detonators 10, simultaneously or individually. The receiving means 21 are specifically configured to receive a message emitted by each electronic detonator 10, simultaneously or individually. The transmitting means 22 are configured to transmit messages and / or information to be stored or programmed in each electronic detonator 10. The receiving means 21 and the sending means 22 may consist of a bidirectional transmitter / receiver, known to the expert in the field of wired communication networks. Although, in the example embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, the electronic detonators 10 and the mobile test device 20 are connected by a wired connection via the bus line L1, the invention is not limited to that type of connection. In particular, the mobile test device 20 and the electronic detonators 10 could communicate via a wireless connection, for example, by radio link. The receiving means 21 and the transmitting means 22 could then consist of a bidirectional transmitting / receiving antenna, as known to those skilled in the art in the field of wireless communication networks. The mobile test device 20 further comprises a microprocessor 23 that makes it possible to implement different data processing operations, calculations and parameterizations as will be described later with reference to the installation procedure for installing electronic detonators at the exploitation front. The mobile test device 20 also comprises an EEPROM type memory (EEPROM being an acronym for Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory). The function and operation of the mobile test device 20 will be described in more detail with reference to the installation procedure for installing electronic detonators 10 on the exploitation front. The ignition system further comprises an ignition device 30 provided to be remotely connected to electronic detonators 10. As illustrated in Figure 1, the ignition device 30 is connected via an ignition line L2, which is in turn connected to the bus line L1. The ignition device 30 is provided to be placed at a great distance from the working face to allow the ignition to be activated with complete safety for the operator who activates the ignition from the ignition device 30. The ignition device 30 comprises receiving means 31 and sending means 32 that allow bidirectional communication between the electronic detonators 10 and the ignition device 30, simultaneously or individually. The receiving means 31 and the sending means 32 are similar to those described above in relation to the mobile test device 20. The ignition device 30 further comprises a microprocessor 33 that makes it possible to implement different data processing operations, calculations and parameterizations as will be described later with reference to the ignition procedure as described later. A programmable memory 34 of the EEPROM type is also provided in the ignition device 30. A display screen 35 can also equip the ignition device 30 to communicate with the operator. The function and operation of the ignition device 30 will be described in more detail with reference to the ignition procedure. Each electronic detonator 10 comprises two-way communication means 13 configured for communication of the electronic detonator 10 with the mobile test device 20 and / or the ignition device 30. The two-way communication means 13 of the electronic detonators are similar to the receiving means 21 and sending means 22 described above with reference to the mobile test device 20. Furthermore, each electronic detonator 10 comprises memory storage means 11 configured to store identification information specific to each electronic detonator 10. These memory media 11 are formed, for example, by a ROM or lj L7nn / pznz / B / YiAi Read-Only Memory or by a write-readable memory of the EEPROM type. In particular, each electronic detonator 10 is associated with a unique identifier ID parameterized in the electronic detonator 10 at the time of its manufacture. The IDY value of this ID identifier is included here, purely as an example, between ID1 and IDN, N corresponding to the total number of electronic detonators 10 installed at the working front to perform ignitions. In the illustrated embodiment, and without limitation, each electronic detonator 10 also comprises a delay category reference x Cx recorded on the memory media 11. Initially, the implementation of a delay category Cx consists of pre-categorizing the electronic detonators 10 according to their delay category Cx, and then programming all the electronic detonators 10 associated with the same delay category Cx with the same ignition delay according to a predetermined ignition plan. Each delay category Cx is preferably identified by a predefined combination of a numeric code and a color code. The numeric code or number x is stored in memory as a delay category reference Cx in the memory media 11 of each electronic detonator 10. To facilitate the installation of the electronic detonators 10 in the boreholes at the working face, the delay category Cx with which the electronic detonator is associated is visible on each electronic detonator 10. The use of a numerical code or a number xy color code makes it possible to facilitate, in combination, the identification by the operator at the exploitation front of each electronic detonator 10 to be installed. Preferably, the number xy and the color associated with each combination are visible on the electronic detonator 10. The number xy / or the color code may be visible, for example, on the connection cable of the electronic detonator 10 to the bus line L1. This embodiment has been illustrated in Figure 1 in which a different colored label, bearing the number 1, x, ..., n, is attached to the connecting cable for each electronic detonator 10. lj L7nn / pznz / B / YiAi Of course, other types of locations could be chosen to make visible the Cx delay category with which the electronic detonator 10 is associated. For example, the combination of the numeric code and the color code that identifies each Cx delay category could also be visible on a connector (not shown) that connects the electronic detonator 10 to the L1 bus line. Furthermore, an RFID tag can be affixed to an outer face of the electronic detonator 10 housing. This tag can thus contain not only the color code and numerical code x of the delay category Cx but also the IDY identifier of the electronic detonator 10. The advantage of categorizing electronic detonators 10 will appear in more detail below, with reference to the installation and ignition procedure of electronic detonators. Finally, each electronic detonator 10 also comprises recording means 12 consisting of an EEPROM type write memory. In practice, the recording media 12 may be different from the memory media 11 of each electronic detonator 10 or be made up of the same EEPROM memory with separate registers for storing different data. As will appear in the description below, the recording media 12 make it possible to store locally, in each or some of the electronic detonators 10, data relating to the ignition plan in which those electronic detonators 10 are implemented. Figure 2 provides an illustration of an ignition plan associated with a mining front identified by a reference FZ When an ignition plan is defined, the programmer defines, on the operating front, the location of the various electronic detonators 10, which are illustrated schematically by points in Figure 2 and associates an ignition delay with them. A T-model of associations, as illustrated in Figure 3, is defined below in parallel, allowing an ignition delay (in milliseconds) to be associated with each Cx delay category. As a non-limiting example, Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the implementation of six delay categories C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 associated respectively with 0, 250, 500, 750, 1000, 1250 ms ignition delay. lj L7nn / pznz / B / YiAi Of course, this example implementation is purely illustrative. In practice, the predefined set of Cx delay categories comprises between 16 and 32 different delay categories for creating a conventional ignition plan. This number can be increased to 64 for larger ignition plans. Typically, using 20 to 25 different delay categories makes it possible to produce an ignition plan for a given FZ working face. The use of a T-model of associations avoids having to know the ignition delay value in the ignition plan as illustrated in Figure 2. In fact, the ignition plan can be implemented by locating the 10 electronic detonators that have the same ignition delay and assigning them a delay category Cx, this being done for each different ignition delay in the ignition plan. The T-model of associations then makes it possible to define the ignition delay for each delay category Cx. In the ignition plan as illustrated in Figure 2, each electronic detonator 10 can thus be seen by means of a colored dot and a number x, corresponding to the color code and the numerical code that characterizes its delay category Cx. A description will now be given, with reference to Figure 4, of an installation procedure for installing an electronic detonator assembly 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. As described above with reference to Figure 1, each electronic detonator 10 is placed in a borehole of a mining face. This placement of the electronic detonators is carried out according to the ignition plan as shown in Figure 2. For this purpose, the installer can have a load map, available for example on the mobile test device 20, which makes it possible to identify the location of each electronic detonator and its delay category Cx, seen by the color code and the associated numerical code x. This loading map simplifies the placement of each 10 electronic detonator in the dedicated borehole. The installer can, for a given FZ exploitation front, take the required number of electronic detonators 10 of each delay category Cx, then arrange them in the FZ exploitation front simply complying with the color code and / or the numerical code of the loading map. The installation procedure then comprises a step S41 of connecting the electronic detonators 10 to the mobile test device 20. In the example embodiment described with reference to Figure 1, and without limitation, the electronic detonators 10 are connected via a bus line L1, which is in turn connected to the mobile test device 20. The installation procedure then comprises an S42 stage of receiving, by means of the mobile test device 20, a message sent by each electronic detonator 10. The transmission of a message for each electronic detonator 10 can be carried out spontaneously. For example, the transmission of a message by each detonator can take place from its connection with the L1 bus line, which is connected, in turn, to the mobile test device 20. Each electronic detonator 10 is thus configured to send a message to the mobile test device 20 upon startup. The messages in the S42 reception stage are thus received in succession, progressively with the connection of the electronic detonators to the L1 bus line. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the mobile test device 20 sends, in an emission stage, a test command to all electronic detonators 10, after its connection to the bus line L1. The S42 receiving stage then makes it possible to receive, simultaneously or individually, a response message, sent by each electronic detonator 10 to the mobile test device 20. The S42 receiving stage is implemented by means of the receiving means 21 of the mobile test device 20. The installation procedure then comprises a step S43 of determining, from the message sent by each electronic detonator 10, a set of V values ​​representing the total number of electronic detonators 10 connected to the mobile test device 20. The S43 determination stage is implemented by the determination means formed by the microprocessor 23, based on messages received in the S42 reception stage. In particular, this set of V values ​​determined by the mobile test device L7nn / pznz / B / YiAi 20 can comprise the total number N of electronic detonators 10 connected to the mobile test device 20. The total number N of electronic detonators 10 can be determined from the number of messages received at the S42 reception stage. More particularly, in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, in which each electronic detonator 10 is associated with a delay category Cx, in the determination step S43, the set of values ​​V comprises, for each delay category Cx, the number Nx of electronic detonators 10 comprising the delay category reference x Cx stored in the memory means 11. The set of Nx numbers of electronic detonators associated with each delay category Cx thus forms a set of V values ​​that represent the total number N of electronic detonators 10 on the exploitation front. In such an embodiment, the determination step S43 can also allow the total number N of electronic detonators 10 to be specifically determined by the following calculation: n N = ΣNχ(Cx) i where n is the number of delay categories used in the implemented ignition plan. To allow the determination of the number Nx of electronic detonators 10 associated with the delay category Cx, at the S42 reception stage, the message comprises at least the delay category reference x Cx stored in the memory media 11 of the electronic detonator 10, this being for each electronic detonator 10 connected to the mobile test device 20. In such an implementation, the number n of delay categories Cx from the predefined set of delay categories used at the FZ operating front can also be determined from the set of received messages. For example, microprocessor 23 is configured to calculate the sum of the different Cx delay category references x extracted from the received messages. The number n of delay categories Cx is useful for verifying later, in a test before activating the ignition as described below, that the electronic detonators 10 of each delay category Cx of the set L7 L7nn / P7nz / B / YIAI predefined delay category Cx implemented in the ignition plan are effectively present. Alternatively, the message sent by each electronic detonator 10 may not include information about the delay category Cx to which each electronic detonator is associated. In this case, the mobile test device 20 consults the electronic detonators 10, delay category by delay category, only the electronic detonators 10 associated with the same delay category Cx by simultaneously sending a message to the mobile test device 20. The latter can thus determine, in the determination stage S43, the number Nx of electronic detonators 10 associated with the delay category Cx. In such an embodiment, the delay categories Cx used for the exploitation front FZ must be stored in memory in the mobile test device 20 to enable the electronic detonators 10 to be queried, delay category by delay category. In the S43 determination stage, the set of V values ​​thus comprises the total number N of electronic detonators on the exploitation front, determined directly from the number of messages received and / or determined indirectly from the number Nx of electronic detonators of each delay category Cx. This information regarding the implementation of the installation procedure for the installation of the electronic detonators 10 at the working face is useful for verifying the proper functioning and correct connection of each electronic detonator 10 at the time of activating the ignition, which may occur several days, or even several weeks, after the installation of the electronic detonators 10 at the working face. For that purpose, the installation procedure comprises a stage S44 of sending, by means of the mobile test device 20, a set of data D to be stored in one or more electronic detonators 10. The S42 receiving stage is implemented by means of the receiving means 22 of the mobile test device 20. The data set D is received by the two-way communication means 13 of the electronic detonator or detonators 13. Data set D is configured to be stored on recording media 12 of an electronic detonator 10. The electronic detonator 10 that stores the data set D can be randomly selected by the mobile test device 20 from the set of electronic detonators 10, or instead selected according to the power of the message sent by each electronic detonator 10. In the latter case, the electronic detonator 10 that has a higher amplitude response signal can be selected. The data set D to be stored comprises the set of values ​​V that represent the total number N of electronic detonators 10 connected to the mobile test device 20. The installation procedure thus comprises an S45 step of storing the data set D in a writeable memory of at least one electronic detonator 10. Information such as the total number N of electronic detonators 10 connected to the mobile test device 20 can thus be stored in memory in one or more electronic detonators connected to the bus line L1. In one embodiment, at the S44 transmission stage, the data set D to be stored in memory is sent to all 10 electronic detonators of the electronic detonator set connected to the L1 bus line. Therefore, data set D is stored on recording media 12 of each electronic detonator 10 of the electronic detonator set. The information thus stored in memory is available in any one of the electronic detonators 10. Therefore, in case of failure of one or the other of the electronic detonators 10, the redundant memory storage of the data set D makes it possible to ensure the availability of that information in all the electronic detonators 10. Alternatively, in the S44 memory storage stage, the number Nx of electronic detonators 10 associated with the delay category Cx is stored in memory on the recording media 12 of at least one electronic detonator 10 comprising that delay category reference Cx stored on the memory media 11. Therefore, the memory storage of the number Nx of electronic detonators 10 associated with each delay category Cx is distributed among the electronic detonators 10 of each delay category Cx. For redundancy purposes, the number Nx of electronic detonators 10 associated with the delay category Cx may be stored in the recording media 12 of all electronic detonators 10 comprising that delay category reference Cx stored in their memory media 11. In addition to the total number N of electronic detonators and / or the number Nx of electronic detonators 10 of each delay category Cx, the data set D to be stored may also comprise a reference FZ of the exploitation front from among a set of exploitation fronts. In the context of multiple ignition planning, the FZ reference of the operating front, associated with the ignition plan at the time of its programming as explained above with reference to Figure 2, allows verification later, particularly before programming the delays for each electronic detonator, of the match between the ignition plan used and the operating front FZ to be programmed. The data set D to be stored in memory may also comprise the number n of delay categories Cx used on the exploitation front FZ. The installation procedure for installing electronic detonators 10 and their reading and programming by the mobile test device 20 can be completed at this stage. However, it is also possible to program the predefined delay associated with each electronic detonator 10 by the mobile test device 20 according to the ignition plan. In this case, the installation procedure also includes an S46 step of selecting a T model of associations as illustrated in Figure 3, which associates each Cx delay category with a predefined delay according to a predetermined ignition plan. The selection of a T association model is carried out by an operator, from T association models stored in memory 24 of the mobile test device 20. Based on this T-model of associations, the mobile test device 20 implements an S47 programming stage: the predefined delay is sent to each electronic detonator 10 according to the delay category Cx that is L7 L7nn / P7nz / B / YIAI associated with it. The predefined delay is then stored on the recording media 12 of each electronic detonator 10. The S47 programming stage is thus implemented based on the T model of associations and the delay category reference Cx stored in the memory media 12 of each electronic detonator 10. The use of a T-model of associations allows simultaneous programming of the predefined delay in the set of electronic detonators based on the Cx delay category reference stored in memory. This facilitates the programming of the delay in each electronic detonator 10 according to an ignition plan. A description will now be given, with reference to Figure 5, of the procedure for igniting a set of electronic detonators installed at the working face. The ignition procedure is implemented in the ignition device 33 as illustrated in Figure 1, which can be placed away from the exploitation front FZ and the electronic detonators 10. Furthermore, the procedure for igniting the electronic detonator set 10 can be implemented long after the stage of installing the electronic detonators 10 in the boreholes. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to test, before activating the ignition, that the electronic detonator assembly 10 is indeed in an operational state and connected to the ignition device 30 to receive the ignition instruction. For that purpose, the ignition procedure first comprises a step S51 of connecting the electronic detonator assembly 10 to the ignition device 30. In practice, the connection can be made by an ignition line L2 connected to the bus line L1 to which the electronic detonators 10 were connected at the time of installation at the working front. The ignition procedure then comprises an S52 stage of receiving a message sent by each electronic detonator 10. The ignition device 30 thus receives, in the receiving means 31, a number N' of messages sent by the set of electronic detonators 10 connected to the ignition device 30. The emission of messages by the electronic detonators 10 lj L / nn / pznz / B / YiAi can be spontaneous, starting from the start of the electronic detonators 10 at the time of connection and / or the start of the ignition device 30. In an alternative embodiment, the ignition device 30 can be configured to implement a sending stage, by means of sending 32 a test command to the electronic detonator assembly 10. The S52 receiving stage is then configured to receive in response the messages sent by each electronic detonator 10. The ignition procedure also comprises an S53 step of receiving the data set D stored on the recording media 12 from at least one electronic detonator 10. As stated above, the D data set can be stored in memory in one, several, or all of the 10 electronic detonators of the electronic detonator set installed at the exploitation front. More particularly, and without limitation, in the implementation illustrated in Figure 1 for which each electronic detonator 10 is associated with a delay category Cx, in the S52 step of receiving a message sent by each electronic detonator 10, the message further comprises at least the delay category reference Cx stored in the memory media 11 of the electronic detonator 10. Alternatively, the ignition device 30 can be configured to implement a dispatch stage, for each delay category Cx, a test order sent to the subset of electronic detonators 10 comprising the same stored delay category reference Cx. The number of messages received thus corresponds directly to the current number of electronic detonators 10 that are associated with that delay category Cx. The ignition procedure then comprises an S54 extraction step, from data set D, a set of values ​​V representing the total number N of electronic detonators 10 that are connected to the mobile test device 20 at the time of installation of the electronic detonator set 10 at the exploitation front. The S54 extraction stage is implemented by the microprocessor 33 of the ignition device 30. The set of values ​​that represent the total number of detonators L7 L7nn / P7nz / B / YIAI electronics can, as stated above, correspond to the total number N of electronic detonators 10 that are connected to the bus line L1 and / or to the number Nx of electronic detonators 10 that are associated with each delay category Cx, this being for the predefined set {1, ..., x, ..., n} of delay categories Cx. In the S54 extraction stage, it is also possible to extract, from the D data set, the FZ reference of the exploitation front in question as well as the number n of delay categories Cx used on the exploitation front at the time of the installation of the electronic detonators 10. The ignition procedure further comprises a step S55 of determining, based on the step S52 of receiving messages sent by each electronic detonator 10, the actual number N' of electronic detonators 10 connected to the ignition device 30. The S55 determination stage is implemented by means of a calculation device of the microprocessor 33 of the ignition device 30. The actual number N' can thus be calculated from the sum of the messages received in the S52 reception stage. In the embodiment in which the message received in the reception stage S52 comprises the delay category reference Cx stored in memory in each electronic detonator 10, the determination stage S55 is configured to determine, for each delay category Cx, the actual number N'x of electronic detonators 10 associated with that delay category Cx. In the embodiment in which the electronic detonators 10 are consulted, delay category by delay category, by the ignition device 30, the number of messages received in response to each sending of a test order corresponds to the actual number N'x of electronic detonators 10 associated with that delay category Cx. The actual number N'x of electronic detonators 10 associated with each delay category Cx also allows alternatively determining, by sum calculation, the actual number N' of electronic detonators connected to the ignition device 30. It should be noted, therefore, that, based on the data set D sent by the electronic detonators 10, it is possible to know, in the ignition device 30, the installation conditions of the electronic detonators 10 in the L7 L7nn / P7nz / B / YIAI s > ω N 25 N Gs c front of exploitation, and in particular the total number N of electronic detonators connected to the bus line L1, as well as the number Nx of electronic detonators associated with each delay category Cx. This information can thus be sent directly from one or more electronic detonators 10 to the ignition device 30 and avoid any transfer of information by the mobile test device 20 or any other means of information. Based on the extraction and determination stages S54 and S55, the ignition device 30 microprocessor 33 implements a comparison stage S56. In this comparison stage S56, the current number N' of electronic detonators 10 connected to the ignition device 30 is compared with the set of values ​​representing the total number N of electronic detonators connected to the mobile test device 20 at the time of the installation of the electronic detonators 10. As stated above, the actual number N' is calculated from the number of messages received in the S52 receive stage. In the S56 comparison stage, the current number N' is compared with the total number N of electronic detonators 10 or with the sum of the number Nx of electronic detonators 10 associated with each delay category Cx. In practice, the actual number N' is consistent with the set of values V representing the total number N when Ν' = N on Ν' = ^Nx (Cx) i where n is the number of delay categories of the predefined set at the time of installation of the electronic detonators at the exploitation front. In the embodiment in which each electronic detonator 10 is associated with a delay category Cx, the comparison step S56 also comprises a comparison, for each delay category Cx, x belonging to {1, n}, of the actual number N'x of electronic detonators 10 connected to the ignition device 30 with the number Nx of electronic detonators 10 associated with the delay category Cx. In practice, the actual number N'x of electronic detonators 10 connected to the ignition device 30 is consistent with the number Nx of electronic detonators 10 associated with the delay category Cx when N'x = Nx, this being for any delay category Cx, x belonging to {1, ..., n}. Depending on the result of the comparison or comparisons, an S57 step is implemented to issue a VAL-OK validation message if the current number N' is consistent with the set of values ​​representing the total number N of electronic detonators connected to the mobile test device 20 at the time of installation, and if, for all delay categories Cx, the current number N'x is consistent with the number Nx of electronic detonators 10 associated with the delay category Cx at the time of installation of the electronic detonators 10, when the electronic detonators associated with a delay category Cx are deployed. This S57 stage of issuing a message can be carried out by issuing a sound message or information or warning that is displayed on a display screen 35 of the ignition device 30. As stated above, the programming of the predefined delay associated with each electronic detonator 10 can be implemented by the ignition device 30. In this case, the installation procedure also includes a step S58 of selecting a T-pattern of associations as illustrated in Figure 3, which associates, for each delay category Cx, a predefined delay according to a predetermined ignition plan. The selection of the T-pattern of associations can be implemented based on the association patterns recorded in the programmable memory 34 of the ignition device 30. When several ignitions are scheduled and must be implemented by the ignition device 30, the FZ reference of the operating front allows the selection of the T association model corresponding to the selected ignition plan. Under the T-model of associations, the predefined delay can be programmed simultaneously on all 10 electronic detonators, in a single S59 programming stage. The S59 programming stage is thus implemented based on the T model of associations and the delay category reference Cx stored in the memory media 11 of each electronic detonator 10. In practice, a general message, comprising according to the T model of associations, a predefined delay associated with each delay category Cx can be sent to all electronic detonators 10, with the programming of each predefined delay being implemented according to the delay category reference Cx stored in the memory media 11 of each electronic detonator 10. This facilitates the programming of the delay in each electronic detonator 10 according to an ignition plan. After this procedure of testing and validating the connection of the electronic detonator assembly 10 by the ignition device 30, and optionally programming the delay associated with each electronic detonator 10, an S60 stage of sending an ignition instruction can be implemented with complete safety to activate the ignition. Conversely, if in addition to the comparison stage S56, the actual number N' of electronic detonators 10 is not consistent with the set of values ​​V representing the total number N of electronic detonators connected to the mobile test device 20 at the time of installation, a stage S61 is implemented to issue a VAL-NOK non-validation message. This VAL-NOK message is sent to the operator and prevents ignition activation when the electronic detonators 10 are not all connected, are defective, or are more numerous than those loaded in the boreholes at the time of installation. This VAL-NOK message can also be an audible warning or a message displayed on the ignition device 30's screen 35. In the embodiment in which each electronic detonator 10 is associated with a delay category Cx, the comparison step S56 also comprises comparing, for each delay category Cx, the actual number N'x of electronic detonators 10 with the number Nx of electronic detonators 10 associated with the delay category Cx. If the current number N'x is different from the number Nx for at least one L7 L7nn / P7nz / B / YIAI delay category Cx, the S61 stage of issuing a VAL-NOK non-validation message is implemented. An S62 identification stage is implemented to identify the Cf delay category or categories for which the actual number N'f is different from the number Nf of electronic detonators 10 comprising the Cf delay category reference stored in memory. The S62 identification stage thus makes it possible to indicate to the operator the delay category or categories Cf for which there are one or more additional electronic detonators, for example, or one or more defective electronic detonators 10, or detonators not connected to the ignition device 30. Depending on the importance of those defective electronic detonators 10 during the ignition process, the operator may decide to interrupt or activate the ignition. The S62 identification stage thus allows for improved remote ignition management, avoiding intervention at the operating front by identifying the 10 defective electronic detonators in the ignition plan. Naturally, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described and illustrated. In particular, the installation and ignition procedure may be implemented using electronic detonators that are not categorized according to a delay to be programmed later.

Claims

1. A method for installing a set of electronic detonators (10) in boreholes of a mining face (FZ), characterized in that it comprises the following steps: - connecting (S41) said electronic detonators (10) loaded in the boreholes to a mobile test device (20); - receiving (S42), by means of said mobile test device (20), a message sent by each detonator of said set of electronic detonators (10); - determining (S43), by means of said mobile test device (20) from said message sent by each detonator (10), a set of values ​​(V) representing the total number (N) of electronic detonators (10) connected to the mobile test device (20);- sending (S44), by means of said mobile test device (20) to one or more detonators of said electronic detonator set (10), a data set (D) to be stored in a memory comprising said set of values ​​(V) representing the total number (N) of electronic detonators (10) connected to the mobile test device (20); and - storing (S45) said data set (D) in memory recording means (12) of one or more detonators of said electronic detonator set (10).; 2. The installation procedure according to claim 1, characterized in that in the sending stage (S44), said data set (D) to be stored in memory is sent to all detonators of said electronic detonator set (10), said data set (D) being stored in recording means (12) of each detonator of said electronic detonator set (10).

3. The installation procedure according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that said data set (D) to be stored in memory further comprises a reference (FZ) to said operating front.

4. The installation procedure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said set of values ​​(V) comprises the total number (N) of electronic detonators (10) connected to the mobile test device (20).

5. The installation procedure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, each detonator (10) comprising memory means (11) for storing at least one delay category reference (Cx) selected from a predefined set of delay categories, characterized in that said installation procedure further comprises, for each delay category (Cx), a step of issuing a test command by means of said mobile test device (20) to a subset of electronic detonators (10) comprising the same delay category reference (Cx) stored in memory and in that, in the determination step (S43), said set of values ​​(V) comprises, for each delay category (Cx), the number (Nx) of electronic detonators (10) comprising the same delay category reference (Cx) stored in memory.

6. The installation procedure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, each detonator (10) comprising memory means (11) for storing at least one delay category reference (Cx) selected from a predefined set of delay categories, characterized in that in the receiving step (S42), by means of said mobile test device (20), of a message sent by each detonator of said set of electronic detonators (10), said message comprises at least the delay category reference (Cx) stored in said memory storage means (11) of said detonator, and in that in the determination step (S43), said set of values ​​(V) comprises, for each delay category (Cx), the number (Nx) of electronic detonators (10) comprising said same delay category reference (Cx) stored in memory.

7. The installation method according to one of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that said data set (D) to be stored in memory comprises the number (n) of delay categories (Cx) from said predefined set of delay categories. L7 L7nn / P7nz / B / YIAI 8. The installation procedure according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that in said memory storage stage (S45), the number (Nx) of electronic detonators (10) comprising said stored delay category reference (Cx) is stored, respectively, in the recording means (12) of at least one electronic detonator (10) comprising said stored delay category reference.

9. The installation procedure according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that it further comprises the following steps: - selecting (S46), in the mobile test device (20), a pattern (T) of associations of each delay category (Cx) with a predefined delay according to a predetermined ignition plan; and - programming (S47) an ignition delay in each detonator of said electronic detonator set (10) based on said pattern (T) of associations and the delay category reference (Cx) stored in the memory storage means (11) of said detonator (10).

10. The procedure for igniting a set of electronic detonators (10) installed at the working face according to the installation procedure according to any one of claims 1 to 9, implemented in an ignition device (30), characterized in that it comprises the following steps: - connecting (S51) said set of electronic detonators (10) to the ignition device (30); - receiving (S52) a message sent by each detonator of said set of electronic detonators (10); - receiving (S53) said set of data (D) stored in said recording means (12) from one or more detonators of said set of electronic detonators (10);- extract (S54), from said stored data set (D), said set of values ​​(V) representing the total number (N) of electronic detonators (10) connected to the mobile test device (20) at the time of installing said set of electronic detonators (10) at the operating front (FZ); - determine (S55) the current number (N') of electronic detonators of said set of electronic detonators (10) connected to the ignition device (30) L7 L7nn / P7nz / B / YIAI based on the message sent by each detonator of said set of electronic detonators (10); - compare (S56) said current number (N') with said set of values ​​(V) representing the total number (N) of electronic detonators (10) connected to the mobile test device (20);and - issue (S57, S61) a validation message for a test if said current number (N') is consistent with said set of values ​​(V) representing the total number (N) and a non-validation message if said current number (N') is not consistent with said set of values ​​(V) representing the total number (N).; 11. The method for igniting a set of electronic detonators (10) installed at the working face (FZ) according to the installation method according to any one of claims 5 to 9, implemented in an ignition device (30), characterized in that it comprises the following steps: - connecting (S51) said set of electronic detonators (10) to the ignition device (30); - receiving (S52) a message sent by each detonator of said set of electronic detonators (10), said message comprising at least the delay category reference (Cx) stored in said memory storage means (11) of said detonator (10); - receiving (S53) said data set (D) stored in said recording means (12) from one or more detonators of said set of electronic detonators (10);- extract (S54), from said stored data set (D), said set of values ​​(V) comprising, for each delay category (Cx), the number (Nx) of electronic detonators (10) comprising said stored delay category reference (Cx); - determine (S55), for each delay category (Cx), the actual number (N'x) of electronic detonators (10) comprising said stored delay category reference (Cx) from said message sent by each detonator of said set of electronic detonators (10); - compare (S56), for each delay category (Cx), said actual number (N'x) with said number (Nx) of electronic detonators (10) comprising said stored delay category reference (Cx);and L7 L7nn / P7nz / B / YIAI - issue (S57, S61) a test validation message if said actual number (N'x) is equal to said number (Nx) of electronic detonators (10) comprising said stored delay category reference (Cx) for all delay categories, and a non-validation message if said actual number (N'x) is different from said number (Nx) of electronic detonators (10) comprising said stored delay category reference (Cx) for at least one delay category.; 12. The method for igniting a set of electronic detonators (10) installed at the working face (FZ) according to the installation method according to any one of claims 5 to 9, implemented in an ignition device (30), characterized in that it comprises the following steps: - connecting (S51) said set of electronic detonators (10) to the ignition device (30); - sending, for each delay category (Cx), a test command by means of said ignition device (30) to a subset of electronic detonators (10) comprising the same stored delay category reference (Cx); - receiving (S52), for each delay category, a message sent by each detonator of said subset of electronic detonators (10) comprising the same stored delay category (Cx);- receive (S53) said data set (D) stored on said recording media (12) from one or more detonators of said electronic detonator set (10); - extract (S54), from said stored data set (D), said set of values ​​(V) comprising, for each delay category (Cx), the number of electronic detonators (10) comprising said stored delay category reference (Cx); - determine (S55), for each delay category (Cx), the actual number (Nx) of electronic detonators (10) comprising said stored delay category reference (Cx), from said message sent by each detonator of said subset of electronic detonators (10) comprising said same stored delay category (Cx);- compare (S56), for each delay category (Cx), said actual number (N'x) with said number (Nx) of electronic detonators (10) comprising said L7 L7nn / P7nz / B / YIAI stored delay category reference (Cx); and - issue (S57, S61) a test validation message if said actual number (N'x) is equal to said number (Nx) of electronic detonators (10) comprising said stored delay category reference (Cx) for all delay categories, and a non-validation message if said actual number (N'x) is different from said number (Nx) of electronic detonators comprising said stored delay category reference (Cx) for at least one delay category.

13. Ignition procedure according to one of claims 11 or 12, characterized in that at the stage of issuing a non-validation message (S61), the delay category or categories (Cf) whose actual number (N'f) is different from said number (Nf) of electronic detonators (10) comprising said stored delay category reference (Cf) is identified.

14. The ignition procedure according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that it further comprises the following steps: - selecting (S58) a pattern (T) of associations from each delay category (Cx) with a predefined delay according to a predetermined ignition plan; and - programming (S59) an ignition delay in each detonator of said electronic detonator set (10) based on said pattern (T) of associations and the delay category reference (Cx) stored in the memory storage means (11) of said detonator (10).

15. A mobile test device for implementing the installation procedure according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it comprises: - receiving means (21) for receiving a message sent by each detonator of said set of electronic detonators (10) loaded in boreholes; - determining means (23) for determining, from said message sent by each detonator (10), a set of values ​​(V) representing the total number (N) of electronic detonators (10) connected to said mobile test device (20); and - sending means (22) for sending, to one or more detonators of said set of electronic detonators (10), a set of data (D) to be stored comprising said set of values ​​(V) representing the total number (N) of electronic detonators (10) connected to said mobile test device (20).

16. An ignition system for igniting a set of electronic detonators (10) installed at the working face (FZ) according to the installation procedure according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it comprises a mobile test device (20) configured to connect to a bus line (L1), the electronic detonators (10) being connected to said bus line (L1), and an ignition device (30) configured to connect remotely via an ignition line (L2) to said bus line (L1).

17. The ignition system according to claim 16, comprising each detonator of said electronic detonator set (10) memory means (11) for storing a delay category reference (Cx) selected from a predefined set of delay categories, characterized in that each delay category (Cx) is identified by a predefined combination of a numeric code (x) and a color code, said numeric code (x) being stored in memory as a delay category reference (Cx) in said memory means (11) of each electronic detonator (10).

18. The ignition system according to claim 17, characterized in that said numerical code (x) and said color code of each predefined combination are visible in at least one location chosen from a connection cable of said electronic detonator (10) or a connector of said electronic detonator to the bus line (L1).

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